Merit Financial Group LLC Purchases 5,115 Shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR)

Merit Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR - Free Report) by 32.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 21,103 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after buying an additional 5,115 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC's holdings in Ventas were worth $1,243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. purchased a new position in Ventas in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Ventas by 66.2% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 527 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 210 shares during the period. Global X Japan Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Morse Asset Management Inc bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter worth about $64,000. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ventas in the third quarter worth about $74,000. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ventas Price Performance

Shares of VTR traded up $1.35 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $60.25. 2,455,260 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,545,291. The company has a market cap of $25.28 billion, a PE ratio of -354.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.55 and a beta of 1.37. Ventas, Inc. has a 52-week low of $41.45 and a 52-week high of $67.61. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $60.63 and a two-hundred day moving average of $60.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04.

Ventas Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 16th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 31st were issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 31st. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.99%. Ventas's payout ratio is presently -1,058.76%.

Insider Activity at Ventas

In other Ventas news, CEO Debra A. Cafaro sold 121,248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.17, for a total value of $8,022,980.16. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 986,717 shares in the company, valued at $65,291,063.89. This trade represents a 10.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently commented on VTR. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Ventas from $71.00 to $68.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird raised Ventas from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Friday. Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $75.00 target price on shares of Ventas in a research note on Thursday, December 19th. Baird R W raised Ventas from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Scotiabank lifted their target price on Ventas from $59.00 to $65.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Friday, October 11th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $67.13.

About Ventas

Ventas Inc NYSE: VTR is a leading S&P 500 real estate investment trust focused on delivering strong, sustainable shareholder returns by enabling exceptional environments that benefit a large and growing aging population. The Company's growth is fueled by its senior housing communities, which provide valuable services to residents and enable them to thrive in supported environments.